The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-03-12

Brooklyn Magazine.


A recent incidental statement made
by an authority whose opportunity of
observation leaves no doubt as to its
truthfulness, discloses the fact that the
practice of smoking among ladies is be-
coming more and more general. The
lady, who is lady of the highest stand
ing in New York, says: More Ameri-
can women smoke cigarettes, and often
cigars than the world wots of. Only a
few mornings ago sat in the boudoir
of the best-known woman in New York
society, lady whose name is synonym
for everything that is womanly and re-
fined to the outside world, while she
smoked cigarette after cigarette with the
utmost placidity. During the morning
three other ladies dropped in, and two
of them also produced dainty cigarette
cases, and smoked with entire compo-
sure, ejecting the curls of smoke into
rings above their heads as gracefully and
perfectly as the most expert smoker
among men could do. l know myself
of scores of our best New York, Boston,
and Philadelphia ladies, all my personal
friends, who indulge in smoking, and
whose names, if given to the public,
would cause astonishment. 1t is not
pleasant to contemplate condition
of affairs as the above gives us excellent
reason TO believe exists to-day among
our American women. Men smoke,
and why should not women?' many
have asked. Simply because there are
thousand and one things which, though
proper in men, are entirely unbecoming
to women. The association of tobacco
-vieh refined iady 10 aio~aFseseieJ ir 10
not so with the most polished gentle
man. 1t is argued by some that in Spain,
France, and Turkey and other European
countries, the women all smoke, and in
public; yet these same people making
this assertion have never for themselves
seen the class of women who are addic-
ted to this use of tobacco. In like
manner might we conduct foreigner
to places in our great cities where women
| oor he fn,,nd continually smoking but
could such visitor return to his native
land and declare in truthfulness that the
American lady smokers7 We are aware
that in France especially the habit of
| smoking among women is more general
than in America, but likewise are many
other habits which American mothers
would not care to associate with the
lives of their daughters or their lady
| friends. If the custom of smoking
among American ladies is becoming
prevalent, it is one that cannot be other
wise than deeply deplored. No woman
and we weigh each word in this state
ment-can be lady and be addicted to
smoking. The argument that men smoke
| is no plausible reason for women doing
so, and no one possessed of any degree
| of common sense will advance such
comparison. There are scores and hun
dreds of things that can be properly as
| sociated with the more commonplace
nature of man, but when connected with
| the delicate and refined nature of woman
DoCCo- was 4nICIlicl' 'cIIc; nc,
and while it would be indefinitely better
were it not used at all, or used in much
lesser quantities than it is at present,
the cigar or cigarette is not unbecoming
to the most perfect gentleman. But
when employed by ladies, it is put to
use for which it was never intended;
and the cigar in the mouth of woman
becomes her as much as would costly
| flag of the richest satin texture if placed
on the begrimed mast of one of the
scows that rid our cities of their super
| huous mud and filth.